MVC: Multiple Routes for 1 Controller - asp.net-mvc

Question

I want users to be able to access the "/Linecard" page of my ASP.Net MVC site using "/Linecard" or "/Manufacturers" as the URL... so same controller, 2 different possible URLs.
I tried adding the following:
routes.MapRoute(
name: "Manufacturers",
url: "Manufacturers/{action}/{id}",
defaults: new { controller = "Linecard", action = "Index", id = UrlParameter.Optional }
);
Adding this after the "Default" route doesn't work at all and I get a 404 error when I go to "/Manufacturers". Putting it BEFORE "Default" works, but then only "/Manufacturers" shows up in the URL when I click menu links since it is the first match. I would like "/Linecard" to always show as the URL.
Any pointers? Is there a certain constraint I can use to accomplish this? Thanks!

Answer 1

I had the same problem when we moved to extension-less URLs. We needed to continue to support one route with extensions. I got around it by having my default route apply to everything except the old URL, then after that mapping one specifically for the exception
routes.MapRoute(
"Default", // Route name
"{controller}/{action}/{id}", // URL with parameters
new { controller = "Home", action = "Index", id = UrlParameter.Optional },
// if controller specified does not match 'manufacturers' (case insensitive)
new { controller = "^((?i)(?!manufacturers).)*$" },
new string[] { "Namespace.Of.Controllers" }
);
routes.MapRoute(
"Manufacturers", // Route name
"Manufacturers/{action}/{id}", // URL with parameters
new { controller = "Linecard", action = "Index", id = UrlParameter.Optional },
new string[] { "Namespace.Of.Controllers" }
);

Answer 2

You could also set an order when mapping your routes with the defaults at the end like so
routes.MapRoute(
name: "Manufacturers",
url: "Manufacturers/{action}/{id}",
defaults: new { controller = "Linecard", action = "Index", id = UrlParameter.Optional }
);
routes.MapRoute(
"Default", // Route name
"{controller}/{action}/{id}", // URL with parameters
new { controller = "Home", action = "Index", id = UrlParameter.Optional } // Parameter defaults
);